Liquid-dispensing apparatus



June 11, 1929.

E. E. EICKMEYER LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 19, 1925 K W M Rv% NM T /E E A m "vi/v 4/ M Patented- June 11, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,117,101 PATENT OFFICE.

EARL E. EIGKMEYEB, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 'IO THE NATIONAL RECORDINGPUMP COMPANY, O]? DAYTON, OHIO, A

CORPORATION OF OHIO.

LIQUID-DISIENSIN G AIIARATUS.

This invention relates to liquid dispensing apparatus and moreparticularly tothat type of liquid dispensing apparatus shown anddescribed in the application forpatent filed by me June 27, 1925, SerialNo. 39,986, in which the apparatus is shown as comprising a visibledelivery bowl provided with a vertically adjustable discharge pipe. Thedischarge pipe communicates with the delivery hose and thecommunicationis controlled by a valve.

In the operation of a dispensing apparatus of this character thedelivery bowl is filled to capacity with liquid, the adjustabledischarge pipe moved to a position whichwill cause the desired quantityof liquid to flow from the upper portion of the bowl and the valve thenopened to permit the delivery of the liquid to the customer. If thevalve is closed just as the liquid in the bowl reaches the level of theupper end of the discharge pipe a considerable quantity of liquid, whichshould be 7 delivered to the customer, is trapped in the discharge pipeand withheld, and as the customer has no way of determining what uantityof liquid is in the discharge pipe eis not aware that he has receivedshort measure. In some kinds of dispensing'apparatus the discharge lineis so arranged that when the bowl and discharge line is emptied there isa possibility of trapping a considerable quantity of air in thedischarge line which would prevent the discharge .line from beingcompletely filled-prior to the next delivery w of liquid and thecustomer would not receive full measure.

One object of the present invention is to provide such a dispensingapparatus with means for indicating to the customer when the liquid fromthe discharge pipe has been drained to its normal level and thus insurethe delivery of a full measure of liquid. I V i A further object of theinvention is to provide such a dispensing apparatus with means forindicating to the customer the presence of liquid in the discharge liner1 A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus witha visualindicator which will be simple in its construction and easilyinstalled.

Otherobjects of the invention will appear as the device is described indetail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. is'a sectional view of the upperportion of a l1qu1d dispensing apparatus embodying my mventhrough thedischarge pipe,

tion; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken centrally throughthe visual indicator; and Flg. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2. i

v In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my inventionand have shown one form of'indicator as applied to a dispens ingapparatus of the type s own in the above mentloned appllcation, but itwill be understood that this particular embodiment has been chosen forthe purpose of illustration only and that the indicator itself'may takevarious forms and may be applied to dispensmg apparatus of variouskinds.

As here illustrated the dispensing apparatus comprises an uprightstandard or housmg 1 on the upper end of which is mounted a deliverybowl comprising a transparent cylinder2 confined between a base plate 3,secured to the upper end of the standard 1 and a top plate 4 whichengages" the upper end of'the cylmder and is secured to the base plateby means of rods or elon ated bolts 5. The delivery bowl is suppliedwith liquid by means of a pipe 6 which extends, into the bowl and, inthe present instance, has its discharge end turned downwardly. This pipemay communicate with a suitable pump which is not here shown. Preferablythe bowl is provided with the usual overflow pipe, not here shown,whichwill drain from the bowl'any liquid delivered thereto in excess ofits rated capacity which, in the present instance, is ten the base plate3 is a vertically adjustable elivery pipe 7 which may be. so adjustedthat its upper end will be so positioned as to cause the desiredquantity of liquid to be withdrawn through thesame. In the presentconstruction, the upper end of the dischar e 'gallons; Extending intothebowl throu h I pipe isprovided with pointers 8 which Wlll operate withindicators 9 to indicate .theposition of the discharge pipe. Thedischarge pipe extends downwardly through a suitable stufiing box 10,formed in the bottom'of a cavity "in the base plate and the lower end ofthe pipe projects into a well 11 supported by the base plate below thestufiing box, so that it has no communication with the bowl except whichis provided at its lower end with openings 12 to permit the liquid topass therefrom into the well. The well is connected at its upper endwith a de1iver pipe, such as'the usual flexible hose 12 an to this end aconnecting pipe 13 is I in the present instance, an actuating rod 18which is actuated by a handle or cran mounted in the standard 1 andcommunicates with the upper end of the well. This'connecting pipe isprovided with a valve 14 which controls the passage of liquid from the.well to the delivery hose. lhe discharge pipe may be adjusted in anysuitable manner but,

' However, if the valve is closed after the contained in the dischargepipe,

.in the connecting pipe liquid in the bowl has drained down the level ofthe upper end of the p1pe the liquid above its normal level, will betrapped therein and withheld from the customer. In order that thecustomer may detect the trapping of a portion ofthe liquid inthe dischare p1p e, and resulting in a short measure 0 liquid delivered to him, Ihave interposed in the connecting pipe between the valve 14 and the wellan indicator or gage which will indicate to the customer when the liquidin the discharge, ipe has been drained to its normal level. referablythis gage is in the form of a visual indicator and is here shown ascomprising a housing 20 which is interposed 13and is provided in itsopposite side walls W1th openings 21 closed 'they'can throu h sightopenings, 1 ure 0 liquid has been by transparent walls, such as panes ofglass 22. The lower ends of the openings terminate adjacent, to andpreferably just above, the level of the liquid in the connecting pipewhen the discharge pipe has been drained to its normal level. As hereshown the housing is provided with a transverse abutment or d'. 1 23which determines the level of the liq'iid in the housing and the upperedge of which lies ust below the bottoms of the openings. Oonsequentlyif the liquid in the dis- .charge pipe is not drained to its normallevel, that is, if all the liquid which will flow through the deliveryhose has not been permitted to drain from the discharge pipe, liquidwill be visible in the housing 20,

but if the full measdischarged no liquid willbe visible through thesight openings of the housing, thus the customer by observing thisindicator, may determine whether or not 7 he has received full measure.Obviously by extendin the sight openings downwardly e so arranged thatliquid .at a pre determined level will be visible therethrough when thedischarge pipe is drained to its normal level, but I prefer that noliquid should be visible at that time. v p

The sight opening is so arranged with relation to t e valve that anymaterial quantity ofliquid which is trapped in the rear of the valvewill be visible through the sight opening, that is to say, a quantIty ofl1qu1d in ex- ;cess of the tolerance allowed by ofiicial sealers,

which is quite small, cannot be trapped back of the valve without thatfact being 1ndicated to the customer. In the arrangement a substantiallyhorizontal portion of the delivery conduit but this is not essential tothe proper operation of the device and any arrangement may be utilizedwhich Wlll cause any material quantity of trapped liquid to be visiblethrough the sight opening When a substantially horizontal arrangement isused the discharge may be expedited without atgecting the indication, bysloping the conuit. The indicator is very simple in its construction andinexpensive to build. It may be very quickly and easily installed bysimply cutting the connecting pipe 13 and interposing the housingbetween the adjacent ends of the parts of this pipe, the housing beingprovided with screw threaded openings 24: to receive the ends of thepipe. 7

While I haveshown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish itto be understood that. I do not wish to be limited to the detailsthereof as various modifications may occur. to a person skilled in theart. Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a'delivery receptacle having anoutlet, a delivery conduit connected with said outlet, a valve in saidconduit, and a casing interposed in a substantially horizontal portionof said conduit between said outlet and said valve and having openingsin the opposite sides thereof and transparent closures for saidopenings, said openings being so arranged that any liquid remaining insaid conduit in the rear of said valve may be observed. I

2. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a delivery receptacle, a deliveryconduit communicating with said receptacle and having a substantiallyhorizontal portion, a valve in the horizontal portion of saiddeliveryconduit, said horizontal portion of said delivery conduit havingan opening in the side wall thereof between'said valve and saidreceptacle, .and a transparent closure for said opening, said openingbeing so arranged that it will indicate the presence of any liquid inthe delivery conduit in the rear of said valve.

3. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a delivery receptacle, asubstantially horizontal delivery conduit leading from said receptacle,a valve in said conduit, saidconduit having a sight opening between saidreceptacle and said valve, a transparent closure for said sight opening,and a dam arranged within said conduit to maintain the liquid at apredetermined level in said conduit when the here shown the valve andsight opening are m measured quantity of liquid has been disopening inthe rear ofsaid' valve and said charged from said receptacle. sightopening being arranged to indicate the 10 4. In a liquid dispensingapparatus compresence of liquid in said discharge conduit prising adischarge conduit having a subin the rear of said sight opening. 5stantially horizontal portion and a Valve in- In testimony Whereof,'Iaflix my signature terposed in said discharge conduit to control hereto.the flow of liquid through the same, said horizontal portion of saidconduit having a sight EARL 'E. EIOKMEYER.

